Hi there;
[From the API 5-in-1 test strips]
01/14/15 [yesterday]
GH: 30
KH: 0-40 [It was hard for me to distinguish what colour it was..sorry]
PH: 6.0
NO2: 0
NO3: 20
Temp: 24C
Tank:
New tank; Has cycled for 1 week [as the lady at the pet store told me]
7 Gallon
[3] Dwarf Puffers
---------------------------------------------------
CC:
Smallest of the [3] dwarf puffers has recently become ill. When I got him he was fine, and swimming around.
My concerns have arise as of yesterday; observations include;
->Low energy
+ Resting on leaves and at bottom of tank, not enough energy to swim very much
->No observed eating
+ Looks slightly skinny
->Heavy gasping
+Not rapid, but large gasps
->Faded colour on spots
+From a bright iridescent green to a faded brown, overall loss of color
No signs of physical protrusions or ailments; eyes look clear, fins look fine.
----------------------------------------------------
Actions taken;
->I have been running the test strips every day, recording; nothing has changed drastically
->Isolation
+I have him in a little breeding tank just to keep him from the stress of the other puffers, the breeding tank has his leaf he likes to lay on [which is what he's doing now]
+I have put a few blood worms in the tank [Still no observed eating]
->I have done a 10% water change as of last night
+Small amount of water conditioner
+Small amount of electrolytes [aquarium salt, as directed]
-----------------------------------------------------
Additional notes
->The other two dwarf puffers [Both are a bit bigger, but not full sized] are doing fine, swimming around and eating well. No loss of colours or energy.
->New tank [cycled for a week without fish, as directed]
->Have been adding what the lady gave me small amounts of nutrifin cycle, and conditioner
Baby Dwarf Puffer Crisis
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32773
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: Baby Dwarf Puffer Crisis
I'm afraid it's survival of the fittest in this tank... The lady at the pet store is wrong. Cycle is nothing but dead bacteria. It sound to me you don't have DPs but GSPs?
Start reading:
For ID: ug.php/v/PufferPedia/
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
library/puffers-in-focus/dwarfpuffercare/
Cycling-read the 1st 4 articles here: library/category/water-filtration/
Then, get yourself good LIQUID API test kits.
Start reading:
For ID: ug.php/v/PufferPedia/
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
library/puffers-in-focus/dwarfpuffercare/
Cycling-read the 1st 4 articles here: library/category/water-filtration/
Then, get yourself good LIQUID API test kits.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
Welch4
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 698
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 5:22 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 GSP
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Abington,MA
Re: Baby Dwarf Puffer Crisis
Welcome to the forum! Could we see a picture of your little guys to properly identify.
Forget other advice about puffers you don't hear here - Pufferpunk
Re: Baby Dwarf Puffer Crisis
Hi guys, thanks for the reply!
I've been keeping very detailed records on my observations of them [My inner med-student is kicking in]
Since his critical behaviour was observed last night it had gotten worse over night. This afternoon I had taken matters into my own hands, isolating him and doing some very basic chemist work to achieve some sort of homeostasis for him.
I've been doing some very small water changes; around 5-10% daily or twice daily, with a dechlorination agent.
I've been giving low doses of electrolytes periodically around every two hours
After reading up on many of the common issues that puffers have I have decided to give him a very VERY mild dose of garlic extract, as precaution to a possible parasitic infection. . Not sure why, but he likes eating the garlicky bloodworms over the regular thawed out untreated ones.
Since then I have observed signs of improvement. He is swimming around, although not a lot of activity, it is still an improvement from him being stationary on the ground gasping. As well as his colour definitely being improved over the last few hours.
He is still gasping [although not as large], and laying on the leaves, but I do see him move occasionally which is somewhat comforting.
My general plan here is to continuing on the route we're going so far; feeding from tweezers with mild garlic bloodworms [he's only eaten one so far], low dose electrolytes to help flush toxins, water changes [I do not want to do more than a 10-15% change at a time], and general monitoring and observation. Just trying to keep him going!
I will keep everyone updated!
Unforunately my android is having the utmost difficulties taking a picture of the fish in the tank, it keeps autofocusing on the glass and makes it impossible to see inside of it. However the little guy is definitely a Dwarf Puffer!
I've been keeping very detailed records on my observations of them [My inner med-student is kicking in]
Since his critical behaviour was observed last night it had gotten worse over night. This afternoon I had taken matters into my own hands, isolating him and doing some very basic chemist work to achieve some sort of homeostasis for him.
I've been doing some very small water changes; around 5-10% daily or twice daily, with a dechlorination agent.
I've been giving low doses of electrolytes periodically around every two hours
After reading up on many of the common issues that puffers have I have decided to give him a very VERY mild dose of garlic extract, as precaution to a possible parasitic infection. . Not sure why, but he likes eating the garlicky bloodworms over the regular thawed out untreated ones.
Since then I have observed signs of improvement. He is swimming around, although not a lot of activity, it is still an improvement from him being stationary on the ground gasping. As well as his colour definitely being improved over the last few hours.
He is still gasping [although not as large], and laying on the leaves, but I do see him move occasionally which is somewhat comforting.
My general plan here is to continuing on the route we're going so far; feeding from tweezers with mild garlic bloodworms [he's only eaten one so far], low dose electrolytes to help flush toxins, water changes [I do not want to do more than a 10-15% change at a time], and general monitoring and observation. Just trying to keep him going!
I will keep everyone updated!
Unforunately my android is having the utmost difficulties taking a picture of the fish in the tank, it keeps autofocusing on the glass and makes it impossible to see inside of it. However the little guy is definitely a Dwarf Puffer!
-
bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Baby Dwarf Puffer Crisis
Welcome. Stop dosing aquarium salt, it is not a tonic or a cure. Puffers love garlic so keep soaking his food to fatten him up. Test strips are not accurate I would invest in a decent liquid test kit to get a good gauge on where the water is at. My guess is the tank is not cycled, you cannot cycle a tank from scratch in a week unless you have a good lot of used filter media.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32773
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: Baby Dwarf Puffer Crisis
We still need an ID of your fish.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"